Arkansas linebacker Williams suspended after DWI charge

Terrell Williams, a linebacker on Arkansas' football team, was arrested Sunday morning and charged with driving while intoxicated.

FAYETTEVILLE  Terrell Williams, a senior linebacker for the University of Arkansas' football team, has been suspended indefinitely following an arrest Sunday morning on charges of driving while intoxicated.

Williams, 21, was also charged with driving left of the center lane and violation of Arkansas' implied consent law. He was booked in the Washington County jail at 4:07 a.m. after being arrested by Fayetteville police. He posted $910 bail and has a hearing scheduled for Monday morning.

According to the arrest report, Williams was pulled over at 11:55 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Martin Luther King Blvd. and Razorback Road after crossing the center line of the highway. He told the officer he had been to a party at the Highway 62 Event Center, according to the report.

After observing Williams' eyes as "glassy and bloodshot", the officer asked how much Williams had to drink, to which Williams replied, "None," according to the report.

After failing a field sobriety test, Williams became "very uncooperative with deputies" and "refused to follow directions and became very argumentative," according to the report.

"After approximately 45 minutes, I attempted to read Mr. Williams his AR Statement of Rights form," wrote the arresting officer, identified by his last name Anderson. "Several minutes were taken to attempt to explain his rights to him, but again he became very uncooperative."

Williams, according to the report, refused an alcohol test after being transported to the jail at 1:34 a.m., in violation of Arkansas codes 5-65-202(a) and 5-65-309(a), which state drivers give consent to chemical tests to determine alcohol concentration levels upon arrest.

"I am very disappointed in the decisions made by Terrell Williams," Arkansas coach John L. Smith said in a statement. "He did not represent himself or the University of Arkansas in a manner we expect and has been suspended indefinitely. We have high expectations for the actions of everyone in our program on and off the field, and our student-athletes will be held accountable."

The Tulsa native is the eighth Arkansas football player arrested since March 16. Five of those players are no longer on the team.

Williams has recorded 52 tackles this season for the Razorbacks, including seven in a 19-15 win over Tulsa on Saturday. He had become one of the defensive leaders on the team following season-ending injuries to three senior linebackers - Tenarius Wright, Alonzo Highsmith and Kiero Small.

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Matt Jones

Matt Jones has been the online sports editor for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 2010. He is also a feature writer for Hawgs Illustrated magazine and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in documentary film.